Grief and Loss Counseling in La Crescenta, CA.

Loss and grief are natural occurrences in life. However, they can be major intrusions in the quality of our life if we are too caught up in them. They can also interfere if we are so defended against them that they limit our ability to function or impair our daily interactions with others. Sometimes, what we have lost is not a person but a job or a situation in our life that has had great meaning for us, like our self-image. That can feel devastating. Just like losing a person, these events must be grieved if we are to be able to move on. Grieving doesn’t mean forgetting or being weak. It’s a sign of love and strength. Together, we can work through the grief so you can move on.

Grieving a loss can feel overwhelming and isolating. Whether you are grieving a recent loss or need to process a loss from your past, a safe space to freely express your thoughts and feelings can be healing. Children's response to loss is framed by their developmental capacities. For this reason, children may process a loss and then need to reprocess at a later stage of development. Therapy provides an opportunity for children and adolescents to process their loss in age appropriate ways.

Losing a loved one can be so difficult, whether it's a parent, grandparent, sibling or even a pet. I believe losing a child would be one of the most difficult losses a parent could experience. I am here to help you grieve through these losses by providing you with a supportive, safe and compassionate environment. I will also remind you that all the feelings that you are experiencing, whether it's anger, guilt, denial or sadness are all normal and need to be expressed. I will also make sure that your grief does not turn into a clinical depression, which will add to your sadness and difficult in functioning. Talking to therapist is different than with a friend or family due to our skill-set.

My years of experience as a psychologist has confirmed that there is no particular timetable for overcoming grief whether from a death of relative, partner, friend, pet or the more symbolic losses of empty nest, end of career, decisions not to have children or marry. I provide a safe environment for patients to explore the many feelings associated with grieving on their own terms and timetable.

We provide individual and group therapy for those struggling to come to terms with major life losses, such as the death of a significant other, relationship, career, or health. If you are grieving any loss, do not suffer alone. Our therapists are experienced and/or certified with the skills to help you through your journey to healing and reconciliation.

It's hard to know what to do when we're grieving. Everyone's experience is different and often times that can leave a person feeling alone, even when they have supportive people around them. I often find with grief there's a rollercoaster of emotions happening. The good news is, you don't have to go it alone. Together we will process your grief so real healing can occur. If you're tired of going it alone, or struggling to know how to talk about it--I'm here, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Grief can be a difficulty beast to manage, a beast which can surface at any moment without warning and often comes in waves. When I’ve been grieving I’ve felt like I was in an emotional pong ball. With the aid of tools like EMDR CBT and guided visualizations I can help you to heal and leave the pain, loss, and grief in the past while holding on to the happy memories. Additionally, I can provide tools, coping skills, and other resources to help you manage this particular issue.

Although loss is an inevitable part of life, it can be debilitating. I provide a safe environment where you can process your painful feelings so that you can find satisfaction and pleasure in your life again. Many people can feel paralyzed after the loss of a loved one. Often times this paralysis is a conscious or unconscious attempt to hold on to the one that was lost. Moving forward can feel unbearable, like you are losing your loved one all over again. I can help you move forward and still feel a deep connection to your loved one so that you can go on to live a life that feels fulfilling and worth living.

My approach to Grief & Loss is for the client to be aware of the 7 stages of grief and to have them understand that their feelings about their loss are normal. Many times when someone close to us dies, we question whether not crying, crying too much, or perhaps feeling angry at the world is OK. These are all normal feelings and reactions people have to loss. Once a client understands this, they can continue to grieve without having any questions about their own actions or feelings.

When we lose someone we love, it feels like we have lost a part of ourselves. Something within us has been torn out, leaving a hole that we easily imagine will never heal. The pain can be profound, the feelings of helplessness, or regret, or guilt overwhelming. Having a partnership where you can talk through these feelings can make a huge difference not only in how quickly and how well you are able to move through the process of grieving, but also how you ultimately are able to frame the experience and your memories of the person lost into the narrative of your own self and life as you move forward. What you carry with you afterward is just as important as surviving the hurt of the loss.

Saying goodbye to someone you loved, and who has loved you, is bittersweet. The thought of not seeing a beloved family member or friend again just plain hurts. It’s normal for someone to feel bitter, even angry during this time. I can help young adults grieve the death of a loved one, whether it be a person ... or a pet. I support my clients in making sense of their loss and healing their pain, so that they are able to move forward again in their lives.

Grief and loss is, unfortunately, a normal part of living. There is no single "correct" way to grieve: different cultures and even individuals from the same culture grieve differently. The only consistent feature is that grief takes time. The most effective thing anyone can do for someone grieving is to be there—to listen, to empathize, to walk along with the grief. There is no "fixing" grief. But counseling can help prevent normal grief from developing into major depression or other mental health conditions.

Nothing in life can be more difficult and painful than dealing with loss. When we love deeply we will also grieve deeply. When we don't know how to grieve well, prolong sadness and pain can remain. The therapeutic relationship is one place where a safe place can be found to open fully the pain of loss. I also offer divorce support and grief groups where a community of suffers can join in the journey of recovery.

We all will inevitably experience loss- i.e., the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship, possibly significant life transitions. Grief and loss work focuses on developing effective and healthy coping mechanisms while moving through often challenging emotional states. Often individuals utilize maladaptive coping strategies, such as substances, alcohol and/or food to help minimize painful feelings. My philosophy is that while there are identifiable stages of grief and loss, they are not experienced sequentially. Navigating often confusing and competing emotions is necessary to ultimately heal.

Are you grieving or experiencing a loss? Do you feel like the sadness will never let up? Most people associate grief with the death of a loved one. However, any loss can cause grief. The loss of: relationships, health, jobs or a goal. Experiencing a loss may result in many difficult & surprising emotions; shock, anger, even guilt. Together we’ll resolve your grief & lessen the painful emotions you’re experiencing; accepting them as part of the grieving process & developing some healthy, productive ways to cope with your sadness. Everyone grieves differently. There’s no order or timetable for grief. In session I’ll help you find the best way to resolve your grief & heal from your loss.

Losing a loved one is extremely difficult and takes time to grieve. Loss can bring up intense feelings that cause problems in our lives, and sometimes paralyzes growth. There are also other types of losses that have a negative impact on us, and get in the way of personal progress. The goal of grief work is not to “get over it”, but rather to learn to live with the loss, finding a “new normal”.

Using the tools of Grief Recovery, I help you accept and heal from the pain of a loss. I offer support in a safe environment where you can express yourself openly and work through your most profound feelings. With the help of counseling, you can process your feelings of fear, anger, guilt and deep sadness and find a way forward. You don’t have to be alone during this trying time. Discover coping strategies for adapting to a loss and releasing yourself from pain.

Coping with grief and loss is unique to each person and situation. Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that has meant a great deal to you and been part of your life. Even changes in your health, career, or lifestyle, can cause grief. I approach each case by starting where you are. Although there are different "stages" to working through grief and loss, each person experiences these stages in different ways, durations and may even revisit some of these stages multiple times throughout the process. My goal is to allow you the opportunity to experience each stage at your own pace while focusing on maintaining your health.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you dont include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161

I help clients navigate grief and loss by welcoming their deep feelings as a part of the process and navigating them carefully when they become overwhelming. Grief is a growth process like other difficult experiences, and I help clients find the resilience inside themselves to both honor their loss while getting stronger. By honoring the pain of the loss, we can move into a new phase of life that allows for thriving.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you don’t include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

I have lost people close to me and I can understand what you may be experiencing, even if you had violent/sudden loss. I offer a highly supportive environment in which we talk through your loss, share memories, and I can teach you about grief and loss. In addition, I offer a supportive therapy group for bereavement, which has been proven extremely helpful to people grieving. I use energy therapies and other alternative therapies along with more conventional psychotherapy which enhances your healig and working through losses. I offer a holistic approach to therapy through talk therapy, art and creative therapy, group therapy, bibliotherapy and energy therapies. Contact me because I can help!

Grief is hard. Grief is natural. Animals grieve. Grief is something we feel deep in our bodies and can be disorienting and destabilizing. Grief brings up questions about who we are, the world, the existence or goodness of God, and purpose and futility of life. Dealing with grief, especially when the loss is traumatic and unexpected, requires a slow and tender space to allow the grief to move through our body and to settle in our hearts with warmth and memory. I am here to help you grieve the loss of your loved one, experience, health , future or even your beloved pet. .

Depression and anxiety are often a result of not having processed past difficult situations. We all experience loss, and we have a natural process involving our emotions which helps us recover. Most of us do not receive the permission or the teaching to help us use this natural process. Therapy can help work through "stuck" experiences so that we are freer to move forward in life with less restriction.